A Life Renewed
by The Nevermore Raven
Summary: Post "Lucario: M.o.M." Master and student meet once more. But as time passes in the afterlife, Lucario feels like something's amiss. Lucario reviews his former life in detail before they sensed strong source of aura and came across an entirely new world.
1. Introduction

**A Life Renewed**

_Chapter 1: Introduction  
><em>By: Nevermore Raven

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><p>For an inconceivable amount of time my master has been in this realm, patiently awaiting my arrival. Yet during that entire time, I was left brokenhearted as I believed he abandoned me, his student, when I had trusted him with my very life. In fact, I trusted him more than any other person, as he had taken me under his wing as a young pup and taught me the fundamentals of aura manipulation.<p>

It was by chance, or possibly fate, that I was released from my crystalline prison and returned to the world. Now that I think of it, if that boy hadn't shown up and held the staff in which I was trapped, I wouldn't be here this very moment.

I remember how he impacted my life quite well, as he had the characteristics of my former master, and he trusted his Pokemon companions sincerely. I at first felt bitter towards him, for my heart was wounded by losing the very thing he possessed -trust- and I had grieved over my loss. In so many words, I was simply jealous. I treated him with doubt and scrutiny, and it set off his explosive temper, at one point sending us both tumbling down a slope to plunge into a chilling river... Recalling that memory now brings a smile to my face.

In spite of our strained start getting to know him proved invaluable, as thanks to his insight now my purpose has been fulfilled and I have moved on. The wounds in my heart have healed, and once again I am at Sir Aaron's side, his pupil, his companion, ...and his friend.

For a year we have been in this strange afterlife, reuniting from our separation that has endured for an entire millennium. Needless to say, the cherished bar of milk chocolate I had brought to my master had been completely exhausted months ago despite our rationing, and now I feel as if I am in limbo; I feel like nothing has happened, and I have grown tired of the monotonous repetition. I have the impression that Aaron feels the same way; he has grown quieter in the past few days.

Although at first I felt everything was perfect upon finding my friend, I now feel as if something else is missing, and that feeling has been bothering my thoughts more and more this past week. This world we have become residents in seems more or less like home, back when we were alive. But this afterlife had one difference that as far as I could tell will not change anytime soon.

My master and I have seen nothing of another person, no contact with a society or another group of lost travelers; we have been completely alone. Even the examining of auras hasn't revealed anyone else to us on the range of a dozen miles, which is the limit of our senses.

It is a change from our former lives. Sir Aaron and I served the queen before, and we resided in a magnificent castle that sheltered us from wind, rain, and cold. ...Less so from cold and wind, now that I think about it. With nothing but stone hallways throughout much of the castle, there was nothing to stop gusts of bitter wind from weaving through the stonework.

At least the living quarters were better protected, with shutters over the glass windows and a fireplace, but now and then cold would seep through the door to the outside.

Now we are no longer in a castle, and the elements have not changed in the slightest. Last winter was difficult to endure. My master and I managed to find a cave in a wooded glen, and wood needed for fire was at hand with the fallen trees and branches in the forest.

Winter's worst has passed, and hints of warmth and longer days had resumed. Birds in the treetops have started singing to announce the change in weather, and flowers in meadows have bloomed, as if impatient and fed up with hiding underground, seeking the warm sunlight.

There is wildlife present here, without a doubt. After all, the meal Sir Aaron was boiling didn't fall out of the sky and into his lap. But the man had several tools at his disposal for hunting, including a crude club, a sling for flinging stones at prey, and bow and arrows for larger, more dangerous targets or greater range. He even managed to make a dagger of bronze, which was always at his side. The voice of my master interrupted my contemplation.

"Lucario? What's the matter?" From the grassy hillside on which we had rested, I was overlooking a green, blooming meadow and a small blue lake below us. I glanced away from the scenery and to my master, who had a copper pot boiling bones and meat over a fire. He added several leaves from plants he had found in the field as seasoning, and the seasoning certainly made the stew taste better. Steam from the broth drifted into the air and reached my nostrils in a blend of cooking meat and smoke from the fire, causing my mouth to water from hunger.

I turned to my master and locked my scarlet eyes with his blue ones. "It is difficult to describe, master..." I paused in my thoughts with hesitance. Through the past year, I had learned to speak with my mouth, instead of transferring my thoughts with my mind. Learning how to speak gave me something to work towards, a goal and a purpose. Now that I have more or less mastered it, I once again have a vacant list of objectives.

"Something is bothering you, and you have been quieter these past few days," Aaron noted as he looked me over. He once commented on my manner of speech, stating that it was refined and cultured, or in his words, "Your speech is proper, like the queen's." Little surprise since I was educated by the queen's personal scholars on polite manners and the like. That's one thing about me that hasn't changed.

I couldn't think of what exactly to tell him, so I tried to make it simple and to the point. "Master, when I was released from the staff you had trapped me inside, I had a profound feeling of being lost, in addition to the burden of solitude. But now, we are together again, and although it has greatly lifted my spirits, I am starting to once again feel..." I tried to find a word that fit the meaning I was meaning to express, but I couldn't exactly. "Feel lost..."

My friend considered my comment with a moment of silence, and then shrugged. "Now that I think of it, I've been wondering about that, too. At least you and I are on the same page. Lucario, you and I had a purpose, to serve the queen and protect the kingdom, but now that purpose and the queen, and the kingdom are gone..."

My thoughts exactly. What will happen to us? Are we to eternally stay here, by ourselves? That is what has been bothering me, and before I couldn't quite place it. I was startled from a tremor caused by my body, and the audible noise caused Aaron to laugh.

"I thought you'd be hungry, Lucario! Let's eat." I nodded and walked towards the fire to join him...

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><p><em>A.N. No honest idea how much this story will be liked. It was an idea in my head, and a side story to Jackal Chronicles. As always, reviews are an effective way to share your thoughts about this new story. Hint, hint...<em>


	2. A Second Form

**A Life Renewed**_  
>Chapter 2: A Second Form<br>_By: Nevermore Raven

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><p>Long after we had finished our meal, we decided to turn in for the night. Nighttime was still cold, as the winter had not completely departed to make way for spring. While the sun sent its last orange rays of light between the crests of a mountain range, the two of us set out our simple sleeping bags amongst the edge of evergreen forest, filled with pine, spruce, and hemlock. Our sleeping bags were little more than cleaned hides from animals we had hunted, among them deer and elk.<p>

The fire had burned down to a smolder, and we left it as a smoldering pile of ashes with the intention of using its embers the next morning to light a new one. As wisps of smoke drifted into the air, I noticed that I am soothed by the smell of smoke. Perhaps it was because it reminded me of light, and warmth, and food. On a side note, the light and crackling of a fire and the odor of burning repels wildlife from camp that may be troublesome to its campers.

Over the time Aaron and I had been together, fire has become a necessary essence of camping. Fire has always been present after a long day of relentless travel and scouting, a sign that the day has been finished and we could bathe comfortably in its orange glow.

As my master and I folded our pelts for the night, the questions that entered my mind earlier were pressing down on my thoughts more than ever before, so much so that I decided to ask Aaron about it.

True, in some respects I feel lost out here, without any hint of society or other people. Yet it is a fact that I am no longer lost alone, no longer hiding from the scars I held after I was released; my lifelong teacher is beside me.

"Master, we've been here for a long time, for two weeks. Shall we get up tomorrow to search a new area for some sign of life? There's practically nothing here. We are surrounded by wilderness."

Aaron glanced at me as he removed his hat and gloves, and then removed his boots. "I suppose you're correct, Lucario. Fine. Tomorrow we'll leave from here."

I grinned in satisfaction before another thought entered my mind.

"Which direction shall we travel, master?"

Aaron paused for a moment and rubbed his chin. "I'll think of a direction tomorrow; for now let's get some rest."

I nodded and sat down on my makeshift bed, right beside my partner. Stars began to appear in the evening sky as the last hint of sunlight dissipated. After flopping onto my back, my eyes gazed skyward and studied the glistening flecks of silver that adorned the heavens. I became mesmerized by their beauty for a moment before I noticed a hand reach for the top of my head and gently scratch my pointed ears, causing me to shudder as a soft purr left my throat. As he watched my reaction to his affection my best friend laughed.

"Goodnight, furball," I heard my master whisper, sending warm breath to briefly tickle my ear.

"Goodnight, Master." I closed my eyes and curled up beneath the covers. The darkness of the night and rustling branches of the forest enveloped my mind as I drifted into a more or less refreshing sleep...

*******

It was within the realm of my slumbering mind that I encountered a strange dream. As my consciousness drifted between different areas of my life, one detail seemed to stand out above all others. At first, I couldn't place it successfully and the bothersome detail kept me guessing, but at a certain part of the dream, the actual circumstance became more apparent.

Two forms of aura were violently clashing against one another. This was surprising to me, as I had only ever known one form, the form my master and I have always used. Yet sure enough there was a second form, undeniably real in its presence. It had a strange quality to it; it seemed bitter and cold, as if the familiar form of aura had been rent to shreds and was in its death throes, bleeding out in its final moments. It only struck me as all the more odd as I woke up later... 


	3. No Longer Alone

**A Life Renewed**

_Chapter 3: No Longer Alone  
><em>By: Nevermore Raven

A.N. From here, my mind drifted away from what I had initially planned and more towards the past between Sir Aaron and Lucario. Now it seems the Star Wars cameo won't be happening for a good while, unfortunately... But it will happen.

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><p>My dream was more or less a distorted recording of my former life. Flashbacks from numerous scenes were juggled before my ceaselessly observing eyes. From one moment to another, numerous crucial occurrences and decisions I had made that have formed who I am today were re-lived with astounding clarity, as the subconscious areas of my mind were left to their own devices. My subconscious was left to run free in my dreaming state, unrestrained by the rational thought and judgments of the usually active aspects of my mind.<p>

The first scene that was replayed before me was from far back, perhaps as far into my past as I can remember. I hardly can recall my life as a pup, my life before I had met Sir Aaron and became his lifetime student. In spite of this, one scene I am familiar with without doubt is the very day I first met him...

The morning of that day was seemingly like any other. The sun had begun its gradual climb towards its zenith, growing ever brighter by the minute in its eternal march through the heavens. The dawn sky, still laden with tones of pink and yellow, met my weary eyes as I stretched my small legs and reached up to clean my azure fur, attempting to rid myself of the night's resulting bed-head. After the hairs atop my forehead felt satisfactory, I rubbed my scarlet eyes and stood on my hindpaws, sniffing at the morning air as a robin and neighboring bluebird started to sing their unique melodies, announcing the rising of the sun.

My mouth stretched to its greatest extent at the whim of a quiet yawn before closing itself and followed with further action of my muzzle in the form of a quick sniff, sampling the damp and cool air. It was then that a scent caught my attention. The scent was distinct and smelled of wood, wood that had been lit. This was a cause for alarm, as smoke always had meant something bad, either that a fire was raging, or that a fire had once been raging. I cautiously assumed the former was true and perked up, attempting to determine the direction of the wind as it sent the forewarning smoke towards me.

A grove of trees stood between me and the supposed fire, so I set off in that direction and left the brightening sunlight for the shading shelter of the trees. Leaves softly rustled as a wind weaved its way through the branches, and simultaneously I weaved my own way through the numerous tree trunks of varying sizes and forms, stepping over a damp carpet of crunching leaves.

Roughly a hundred meters before me, the smoke burned more pungently in my young muzzle and advertised the fire with more vigor. Small flecks of sunlight danced upon the dark forest floor, filtering in through the forest canopy. It was as I approached a large stone wrapped in a blanket of moss that I instinctively stilled. I had sensed a ripple of change in the aura that wasn't present before, and that was a cause for caution. Judging by the signature's intensity, I at first thought I'd stumbled across a Lucario.

Lifting myself upon the rock, I peered over its top and by its neighboring maple tree, only to find that a human was stooped over a fire, telltale drifting blue smoke rose above his crouching form. The sight left me confused. Where was the Lucario? Only the man crouched before me, facing away from me at a distance of ten meters, hovering over the campfire he was attending.

The man was wearing rather strange attire. He wasn't a peasant, that much was certain. He wore dark blue gauntlets with a strange oval stone on each of them, surrounded by a thin border of gold. Upon his feet were boots that rose to just below his knees, and he wore a tunic that was worn and faded. Small hints of repairs were here and there, such as new stitching to seal a gap that had split the seams apart. Between the man and I lay a black cape and a distinct black hat. The hat had a pointed brim on it, and at the back of the brim it seemed to be fraying apart, resulting in an appearance that didn't fail to remind me of a rooster's tail. Once I had finished studying my "prey," the man did something I most definitely didn't expect.

Although I had remained as quiet as I possibly could the man turned and a pair of cool blue eyes rose to lock with my fiery red ones, causing my heart to leap into my throat as my muscles tensed, preparing unconsciously for escape. How did he see me? It was as if he knew I'd been there all along! My more basic instincts screamed at my body to do one thing: run. Yet I held still in spite of it, and tried to sneak a peak at the stranger with my aura. It was only then that I realized the potent aura signature I had detected before wasn't a Lucario at all; it was him!

My nerves gave in and I turned about to sprint away, hesitating not in the slightest to avoid the calm blue eyes of the unknown camper. In my panic I ran more or less blindly away from him, and I was no doubt a far faster runner than he was. I glanced over my shoulder to peek back towards the fire, unfortunately long enough to send me tripping over a tree's outstretched root and tumbling into a hidden nest. My head was still spinning, and I flopped onto my back as my head was swimming from the fall. A distinct call caused me to jump up as I perked my small blue ears and frantically glanced about.

The nest I had more or less tripped over happened to be a nest of two Fearrows! I let out a howl of fear at this realization. I was in deep trouble! I was only a Riolu, a fighting type and fighting types have terrible times against flying types, of which the Fearrow is a frightening example.

Instinctively, I glanced at my surroundings as two angered birds pierced the silence with harsh squawks, taking to the skies to attack me. I made a sprint to the denser part of the forest, hoping to find cover amongst the dense branches and concealing leaves from the airborn assailants. Unlucky for me the trees were some distance away, and as fast as I could run, I was highly exposed from the air since the nest and the site of my collision were in a small clearing.

I made it about halfway to the forest edge when I felt a harsh jab puncture my thigh, which sent me once again violently into the earth, tumbling like a ragdoll as clods of soil and grass found a new home in my coat of blue fur. I tried in desperation to stand, attempting to ignore the sharp pain that radiated from my femur and the minor bruising I sustained to escape, but to no avail. From the corner of my vision, I saw the second Fearrow take a dive at me as I limped towards my shelter. A great impact tackled me and sent me once more into the ground, causing me to taste dust as I landed face first.

Finally succumbing to blind panic, I curled my limbs over my body and covered my head as I started to cry, expecting my short life to be at an end as I would be impaled by a cruel beak. Yet before I knew what happened, I heard a loud whack as a bird let out a cry of surprise before falling to the ground. What had happened? I expected a following attack, yet no attack came, no finishing move to end me.

I could feel my bones tremble violently as I looked up, shielding my eyes with my paws as I looked through them towards the nest. Tears had blurred my vision, so I blinked them away to find out why I hadn't become bird feed by then, for I was sure that was going to happen. My eyes spotted a flowing form of black that stood tall, a wooden staff held overhead as the staff swiftly and accurately struck the second bird, before the two birds flew away, leaving behind tan feathers and squawks of panic, followed by silence.

My thigh had began to send throbbing pain, and I glanced down hesitantly to find that a deep gash was upon my leg, spilling blood upon the ground and staining my fur a red-violet color. Something blocked the sunlight from my vision, and I glanced up in horror as my vision was filled with the silhouette of the very man I had run from in the first pace...


	4. The Meeting

**A Life Renewed**

_Chapter 4: No Longer Alone  
><em>By: Nevermore Raven

My eyes widened to the size of saucers as they rested on the stranger, burning red irises clashing with icy blue. For a moment the tall stranger stood still, glancing at my condition. No. I feared for the worst, realizing that he has found me in my weakened state. My new opponent was standing smack in front of me as I was on my back and partially crippled. I couldn't have been more vulnerable!

My mind raced with fearful thoughts and considered my options in my panicked state. A weak whimper squeaked from my throat as I tried to sit up and scoot away from the staff-wielding fighter. To my shock, the man's countenance softened, and his posture relaxed while he set his staff to the ground. Now. Get away! My breathing quickened as I braced myself for a struggle. He was briefly distracted. I saw that as an opportunity to escape, and I flipped onto my stomach and squirmed as he glanced up in surprise and reached out to grab at my foot with a startled shout. I felt fingers close around my ankle before I started to thrash at him, yet his firm grip refused to yield to my struggling.

"Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!" His voice was young and, in some inexplicable way, soothing as it reached my small pointed ears. I felt a hand grasp around my neck, and on instinct I placed my fangs on a finger and chomped down with all my might. My tongue was rewarded with the distinctly dry and subtle flesh-like flavor of leather as the man let out a cry in pain, discovering that I was rather determined to get away.

In one swift instant, I was flipped backwards, sending my head spinning briefly, before I became pinned to the ground by his knees and forearm. The length of his black cape covered us both, draping off of his shoulders. I let out more yelps in horror, expecting something bad to happen. I was done for. A goner. Finished. I deeply regretted my decision to permanently leave my mother and pack to satisfy my urges to explore and feed my curiosities, for that decision has ultimately lead to this!

I attempted desperately to wiggle lose, but to no avail. Gingerly, a hand reached towards me a second time, remembering my nasty bite it encountered when it wasn't careful the first time. The hand slowly reached for my head and brushed it, an action that seemed awkward and unexpeted. It happened to be unusual enough to interrupt my thoughts. The man caressed me with his hand, he stroked my forehead as he spoke softly to me. Wounded and exhausted, I stared at him for a moment as I was stuck beneath him, bewildered.

What in the world was he doing? I had no choice but to listen to his speech, although I couldn't understand a single word he had spoken. Yet I could understand his mood without doubt. His tone was calm and gentle, and my panicked panting gasps calmed to a more steady breathing. The stranger got off of me. The sudden absence of his weight was somewhat relieving on my sore muscles and I warily tried to sit up, but before I could I was suddenly scooped into his embrace.

No longer having the will to fight him, I leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms gently around me and carried me back towards his campsite. The steady swaying motion and gentle embrace of my captor lulled my tattered body to fall into a deep sleep...


End file.
